


(even though) the stars are blind

by jenrenfics



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 22:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20281210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenrenfics/pseuds/jenrenfics
Summary: renjun likes stargazing at their house’s rooftop. jeno sees stars in renjun’s eyes.





	(even though) the stars are blind

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my first attempt at writing a one shot. hope y'all enjoy reading as much as i did writing it!
> 
> follow me on twt @injunstarr and let's be friends :>
> 
> (( stream #Boom by nct dream ))

“So, you like stars?”

Renjun stares up at the evening sky and hums in response. The stars above are twinkling and it makes him wonder if the stars he’s seeing tonight will be the same stars tomorrow night. It’s a curious question, one that seems to have a definite answer of ‘of course, not, because stars die eventually’.

By now, Jeno’s been used to this. He remembers Renjun asking what happens to the sunflowers when the sun sets (“Do they go back to their original position or what?”) and even believing in the existence of aliens and ghosts, because, if humans exist, why can’t they?

“What’s your star sign?” Renjun asks. “I’m an Aries.”

Jeno furrows his brows at his friend’s sudden question. “Um, Taurus. Why’d you ask?”

“Do you believe in those zodiac sign traits? Like, you know, do you use your star sign as an excuse for your decisions or actions? ‘Oh, I hate people because I’m an Aries’ or ‘I am two-faced ‘cause I’m a Gemini’.”

“I definitely don’t do that and, to be honest, people who do that are lame.”

Renjun giggles at that and sits up, patting the space next to him. “You’re so far away from me.”

“I’m literally a feet away.”

“I don’t care. Stargazing’s much better when we’re close together.”

Jeno’s heart does a leap at Renjun’s words. It always does that whenever Renjun unknowingly speaks flirtatious or sweet things to him. He wants Renjun to stop, but at the same he doesn’t want him to. Renjun’s a natural sweetheart and he always says these things to people close to him.

“Okay,” he says and scoots closer to Renjun. He yelps a bit when Renjun lays his head on Jeno’s shoulder. This time, his heart does beat much faster.

“Your shoulder is very sturdy. Guess the workout is really doing wonders for you.”

“Y-Yeah.”

They sit there in silence for what feels like an eternity and Jeno’s stomach grumbles. He hasn’t eaten for the past seven hours for the sake of hanging out with his dear best friend (slash crush), and his cheeks flush at the embarrassment he’s feeling right now.

“Oh God, Jeno. Wait for me here, I’ll grab some pancakes my mom cooked earlier.” Renjun stands up and jumps back to his room, leaving Jeno alone to think.

They’ve been best friends for almost eleven years. Ever since first grade, they were cool with each other. Even when they garnered several other friends such as Haechan, Minhyung, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung at the start of their first year of high school, they stuck together. Their moms were the best of friends, and, quite naturally, their sons got along as well.

The problem is, Jeno is harboring feelings for Renjun.

When did it start? Jeno remembers the time Renjun is painting a puppy for an art project. He knows how smart and talented Renjun is. He is a ballet dancer, a great singer, and a painter. He can cook, is very resourceful, and a lot of other good stuff. In short, Renjun is perfect. So when he asked Renjun what the cat’s supposed to mean (because art always has meaning, right?) Renjun responded with, “Oh, it’s you. You look like a puppy. And my skills are nowhere near professional so I’m sticking with animals and fruits and nature. I’ll do human features once I get the proper training at college.”

The fact that Renjun was painting him as a puppy because, apparently, he looked like a puppy, made him realize how cute and romantic his gesture was even though his friend probably didn’t know that. And, all of a sudden, he was hit by a truck of feelings and now here he is.

He has tried his best to keep his feelings at bay but every single day he spends with his best friend, he realizes that he has been in love with him ever since they first met. He noticed Renjun’s smile when they were seven, he liked the way Renjun twirled when he first saw him do ballet when they were twelve, and now he noticed how Renjun’s eyes would sparkle whenever he looked up at the sky.

Jeno is pulled away from his reverie when he hears the window open and Renjun hops onto the roof, carrying a plate of pancakes with cinnamon syrup on top.

“That smells nice,” Jeno points out, the aroma of the pancakes wafting to his nose.

“And tastes nice, too. Here, try some,” Renjun says and pokes a pancake with a fork before thrusting it to Jeno’s mouth.

Jeno, taken aback, inches his face for a moment, then opens his mouth to eat the pancake. He nods while the sweet taste of the pancake melts in his mouth.

“Here’s some more.”

Jeno stops Renjun, grabbing his wrist. “I can feed myself, thanks.” He flinches at the way Renjun’s face falls. _Way to go, Jeno, you sounded like a real asshole there._ “I’m sorry, I mean… you don’t need to do that. I can take care of myself.”

Renjun drops the fork on the plate and hands it to Jeno. “Okay.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“Nope! Not at all.”

Jeno clicks his tongue. “Eeey, you’re lying. I can see that you’re mad through your eyes.”

“Tsk, as if you know what’s going on inside my head for you to say that.”

Jeno thinks he might’ve heard it wrong so he asks, “What’s that again?”

“Is that all you can see right now? That I’m mad?”

“Well—”

Renjun stands up to leave but Jeno, quick to abandon the plate of pancake to grab him by the arm, stops him in his tracks. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Me? Well, excuse me, mister. I was just trying to do something sweet for you because that’s what a friend should do, what _I_ should do, okay? God, why am I getting so worked up? Oh yeah, because you smell nice and you look very nice and that’s why I want to act much sweeter to you than I did before. Got it?”

Renjun is out of breath after his lengthy speech, so after a few beats of silence, Jeno speaks up. “Ren—”

“I said what I said!”

“Yeah, okay, but… what do you mean? I still don’t understand. Enlighten me.”

Renjun closes his eyes and breathes heavily through his nose. “Okay, listen. I didn’t know when it started but it happened and now I don’t know what to do. Ever since you decided to look all so godly, I started to feel like I have to be with you all the time. Even if my classes were over, I wanted to watch you at the bleachers while you run a few laps because you’re the representative runner of the school. I made sure to make you a lot of drawings as much as possible. And I did a _lot_ of things to get your attention, but all I get is defiance from you! You always reject my advances—”

“When did I?”

“Remember when I offered to wipe your sweaty body after your competition and you stared at me like I was crazy and you bolted? You freaking bolted!”

Oh, yeah. _That_. He remembers that. He chickened out because the idea of Renjun wiping his sweat for him was all sorts of sweet and romantic and he didn’t want any of those thoughts to run across his mind for the rest of the night. So, he ran.

“But why are you so mad about that?”

“Don’t you get it!?”

“Get what?”

“I like you, Jeno!”

Jeno is at loss for words. He tries, but nothing comes out of his lips. He makes an awkward sound, between a croak and a hiccup. He clears his throat and composes himself, but his voice betrays him when he says, “Really?”

Renjun’s voice is softer now. “Yeah…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because… I was scared. You were acting cold everytime I try to make a move. Like earlier when I fed you with pancake. I thought you already knew and you’re mad about it. I don’t know, I was having a million negative thoughts inside my head. Please, just tell me if you’re angry. I will gladly stop talking to you so that you can have your peace and quiet.” 

“What… What even are you talking about?”

Right then and there, Jeno cups Renjun’s warm cheeks and brings their lips together. At first, Renjun stands frozen, but soon responds to Jeno’s kisses. Their lips feel perfectly fit for each other and Jeno smiles at that.

When Jeno parts away, Renjun whines, then his face turns into confusion. “What was that?”

“I kissed you.”

“Yeah, why?”

Jeno rolls his eyes. “Now I should be frustrated.” He flicks a lock of brown hair covering Renjun’s forehead before continuing, “I like you, too. The first time we met was the day I knew I felt something special towards you. It was just a few years ago that I realized what it was. I was slowly but surely falling in love with you.”

All Jeno can see at that moment is Renjun. There might be many stars across the evening sky, but no one compares to how Renjun’s eyes twinkle when he’s smiling like this in front of him. _What a beautiful sight._

“Oh my God.” Renjun wraps his arms around Jeno’s waist and leans his head on the latter’s chest. “I… thank the stars for letting our paths cross.”

“Cute.”

That night, they fall asleep beside each other, their fingers intertwined and their legs sitting atop one another, contented smiles plastered on their faces.

(“Oh my God, look at our sons!” Mrs. Lee quietly yells and calls for Mrs. Huang.

Mrs. Huang almost shrieks but she covers her mouth immediately to not wake their sons’ peaceful sleep. “They finally realized their feelings for each other. I couldn’t be prouder.”

“This calls for a celebration.”

“I know. Let’s go to the grocery.”

Before Mrs. Lee closes the door, she says, “Their love was eleven years in the making, and it was worth the wait!”)


End file.
